The husband of multi-millionaire conwoman Melissa Caddick has denied she rorted her clients and ripped on their friends and family, despite the overwhelming evidence.
Anthony Koletti, 39, insists his wife is not a ‘cold-hearted fraudster’ but instead a victim of a rouge investigation by Australia’s financial watchdog – Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
The rollerblading hairdresser in a bombshell interview on 7News Spotlight said his wife ‘no reason to steal’ because she ‘had everything’ as he revealed what happened in her final moments before she was never seen again.
Anthony Koletti, husband of multi-millionaire conwoman Melissa Caddick (pictured) believes she was murdered by one of the victims of her massive cold-hearted fraud
Caddick, 49, stole millions from the life-savings of family and friends in a brazen Ponzi scheme, taking the funds and spending it on herself instead of investing it for them as she had promised.
As an ASIC investigation closed in on her $30million scam, she left her luxury home in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs for a dawn run on November 12 last year and then vanished.
Her disappearance sparked a massive manhunt until her rotting foot drifted ashore in February on Bournda Beach, 400km south of Sydney, and she was declared dead.
But mystery still surrounds her final movements and her fate.
Some have put forward wild theories she may have had her foot amputated to fake her own death before fleeing overseas.
Others have debated whether she committed suicide or was killed.
Anthony Koletti, 39,(pictured) insists his wife would never have committed suicide – and is convinced she was killed in a revenge attack for ripping off her clients for millions
As an ASIC investigation closed in on her $30million scam, Caddick left her luxury $6.2million Dover Heights home in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs (pictured) for a dawn run and vanished
Although ASIC investigators found a litany of evidence against Caddick including false documentation, Mr Koletti said he ‘I don’t believe a word that any of them say.’
‘You could think that but I don’t see my self as a victim of Melissa Caddick I see myself as a survivor of ASIC,’ he said.
‘Even if she was as guilty as hell, she didn’t deserve to die.
‘The way they interrogated her was inhuman.
‘Whether she committed suicide, whether she was murdered. She died because of their raid.’
Mr Koletti – who Daily Mail Australia understands will reportedly be paid $50,000 for the TV special – has dismissed the suicide theory, despite ASIC’s net closing in on her and her criminal operation.
Anthony Koletti (pictured with Caddick) has dismissed the suicide theory, despite ASIC’s net closing in on his wife and her criminal operation.
7News interviewer Michael Usher has cast doubt on the account of Caddick’s final hours by Anthony Kolleti (pictured) who says he had no idea about what happened to the clients’ money
Mr Koletti insists Melissa Caddick (pictured) loved her family too much to commit suicide
Caddick’s disappearance sparked a massive manhunt until her rotting foot (pictured) drifted ashore in February on Bournda Beach, 400km south of Sydney, and she was declared dead
Caddick’s ‘penniless’ husband has been slammed for doing the TV special by one of his wife’s victims who said he is only motivated by money.
The former friend of the couple, who lost tens of thousands in Caddick’s bogus investment business, told Daily Mail Australia that just like his wife, Mr Koletti is largely motivated by money.
‘I know them very well and they’re the same,’ the man, who did not want to be identified, revealed.
‘He would have done it (the television interview) to get the money.’
Mr Koletti, a former DJ, has largely remained silent as investigations into his wife’s dodgy dealings, but in a promo clip for the interview, he boldly proclaims: ‘I can’t keep silent any longer. It’s time for the truth to come out.’
There is no suggestion that Mr Koletti had any involvement in Caddick’s fraudulent conduct, or in her disappearance from their $6.2million Dover Heights home.
Anthony Koletti has vowed to give ‘the real story about what happened to Melissa’ in his sit down with 7News Spotlight: The Vanishing on Sunday night
Anthony Koletti is set to break his silence about the disappearance of his wife, saying ‘someone got greedy and wanted her dead
The victim also claimed Mr Koletti – who told a court in December he had just $1.95 left in his bank account – was keen to get his hands on Caddick’s $120-a-month life insurance policy, which she took out prior to her disappearance.
In a preview for the interview, the former hairdresser said: ‘People don’t just disappear. I don’t think it was an accident at all.’
‘Someone got greedy and wanted her dead.’
Anthony Koletti, husband of millionaire fraudster Melissa Caddick (pictured together), still lives in the $6.2million home they shared before she vanished
Despite the millions of dollars owed to about 72 of Caddick’s clients, Mr Koletti – who was stripped of his $1700 allowance earlier this year – is still living in luxury in his late wife’s mansion, which boasts breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour.
Receivers want to sell Caddick’s properties off in a bid to pay her victims back, but the Federal Court heard arguments earlier this year that her assets should not be sold off by receivers until her death is confirmed by the Coroner.
Caddick was declared dead by police when her severed foot was found on a beach, but the rest of her body has never been found and her death has not been officially confirmed.
It’s understood Mr Koletti signed an exclusivity agreement with the network ahead of the interview, but he refused to comment on Thursday when approached by Daily Mail Australia outside of his regular takeaway coffee spot, Heart Cafe in Bondi.
Mr Koletti was repeatedly asked about what ‘truth’ is going to come out in the interview, and if he was paid to do it.
Stay-at-home husband Anthony Koletti (pictured with his sports car) enjoyed the life of a multi-millionaire, thanks to his wife Melissa Caddick
The Dover Heights home (pictured) is worth $6.2million, and was raided by Federal Police in November last year
But the former stay-at-home husband kept his mouth shut and slammed his car door in frustration, despite talking to the detectives earlier.
The encounter with the officers appears to have been coincidental, but it is understood the detectives were known to Mr Koletti and involved in the investigation into his wife’s disappearance.
Caddick’s crimes include a detailed Ponzi scheme involving 60 friends and family, totalling $30million – only $7million of which was ever repaid. The rest of the money vanished.
From 2012 onwards, after creating her finance company Maliver, it was common for her to tell interested clients who approached her that she was ‘too busy’ to help them – then later tell them they were in luck, somehow finding time for their business.
Anthony Koletti promises to reveal the true story of what happened to his missing wife, fraudster Melissa Caddick
Anthony Koletti seen in Bondi days before a blockbuster TV interview is set to air
The brochure she handed out for Maliver lied about her credentials as she was not a certified financial planner and did not have a masters of business.
The company operated using someone else’s Australian Financial Services Licence. Once she had their money, she created a fake CommSec share trading account for each client.
Where she needed to, she forged not only clients’ signatures but also that of the nearest available justice of the peace – her father-in-law Rodo Koletti.
She emailed clients a fake monthly report claiming stunning returns of up to 30 per cent, which convinced them to invest more with her, and to get her more word-of-mouth business.
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